This invention relates to cables in general and more particularly to an improved stripping tool for cables having a plastic or synthetic covering layer.
Cables of this nature such as electrical cables must in some instances have their outer covering layer of insulation stripped off. A typical type tool used in the prior art for this purpose is in the form of tongs and works on the principal of a can opener. At the top of the tool a knife that slides along a shoe inserted between the interior of the cable and the covering of the cable is provided. Advancement of the knife for the cutting operation is accomplished through the use of transporting wheels formed as gear wheels. The tool is driven by an attached wrench which is turned by hand. The tongs permit the knife to be held in the cable as the transporting wheels are pressed against the outside of the cable cover. Although this type of tool operates fairly well it has a serious drawback; both hands are required to operate the device and as a result the cable itself can not be firmly held. The cable is held only by the clamping action of the tongs on the cable covering. What this means is that thin or weak cables can not be held with the desired accuracy or can not be held at all during cutting operations and as a result damage such as cutting of the conductors in the cable, can result. In other words this prior art device becomes more and more difficult to use as the cable size decreases unless a special overlayer or underlayer is made for the cable. This problem in the prior art apparatus results primarily from the inability to support the cable when repositioning the knife cutting surface. That is to say, that the gear sectors are capable in a only limited travel. Where stripping beyond the travel which can be obtained with one gear rotation using the handle is necessary, problems can occur during repositioning which result in cutting of the conductors.
In view of these difficulties with the prior art device it is the object of the present invention to provide a device of this nature which permits also holding the cable during the cutting operation and thereby permits the cutting tool to be used for accurately stripping cables of a lesser diameter than was heretofore possible.